Proud
Proud was a Japanese camera maker before World War II. History The company was simply called Proud-Sha (プラウド社, meaning Proud Company) and was based in Tokyo. Based in Tokyo: advertisement dated December 1936 reproduced in , p.104. , p.804, says that Proud was also called Rosen Camera Fabrik and K.S. Fabrik. The latter seems to be a confusion, see the corresponding page. The logo was the word Proud in handwritten script, underlined by a loop coming from the initial letter "P". The company was founded was Miyazaki Shizuma (宮崎静馬), son of the owner of a large camera shop in Suda. Sakurai Eiichi, p.64 of no.20. Most of the cameras were copies of German folders, like the Zeh Goldi or the Balda Baldax, and the camera bodies were made by a sub-contracting factory. Made by a sub-contractor: Sakurai Eiichi, p.64 of no.20. It was Miyazaki Shizuma who suggested to the company Takachiho (predecessor of Olympus), which had developed a camera lens, to venture into camera production, and the bodies of the original Semi Olympus were supplied by Proud. Sakurai Eiichi, p.64 of no.20. Camera bodies were also supplied to Asahi Kōgaku Kōgyō for the Adler Four 4×4cm camera. Miyazaki Shizuma was also engaged in the lens maker Miyoshi Kōgaku, as the responsible of the commercial aspects. Inoue, p.131 of no.14. This explains why Miyoshi became Proud's main lens supplier, displacing the German company Friedrich. It seems that Proud was gradually merged into Miyoshi, which finally took over the camera producing activity. The Semi Prux 4.5×6 horizontal folder (a copy of the Kodak Duo) was jointly advertised by the two companies in 1939–40. Miyoshi later continued the production of cameras with the Roavic (inspired by the Kodak Duo Series II) and the Alma Four. The postwar Proud models made by Sumida Optical Works are certainly a continuation of the prewar Proud company. This company also revived the Roavic as the Apollo and Mikado (said to be made in cooperation with Nishida). See Sumida for all postwar Proud cameras. Camera list 127 film * Baby Rosen (copy of the Zeh Goldi, 3×4cm, 1935–6) * Rosen Four (copy of the Zeh Goldi, 4×4cm, 1936), the Adler Four is a name variant sold by Asahi Kōgaku Kōgyō 120 film * Semi Proud (Baldax copy, 4.5×6cm, 1935–8), the Semi Olympus is a variant with a Zuiko lens * Super Semi Proud (rangefinder model, 4.5×6cm, announced in 1937, sold in 1938–9) * Semi Proud II and III (Baldax copies, 4.5×6cm, 1938–40), called Semi Proud again after some time * Semi Proud II (Ikonta copy, 4.5×6cm, 1941–2) * Semi Prux (horizontal folder, 4.5×6cm, 1938–40, maybe in cooperation with Miyoshi Kōgaku) It is unclear whether the Semi Rosen, Semi Rosen III and Semi Rosen U were made by Proud or not. Film plate * Proud (6.5×9cm, 1933–4) It is unclear whether the Rosen 6.5×9cm model (c.1935) was made by Proud or not. Other products * Proud roll holder (ロールホルダー), in three versions (A, B, C), sold at ¥5 from 1936 Columns in July 1936, p.249, and August 1936, p.377. Notes Bibliography * July 1936. "Foto nōto" (フォトノート, Photo note). P.249. * August 1936. "Atarashii kikai to zairyō" (新しい機械と材料, New equipment and machinery). P.377. * * Inoue Mitsuo (井上光朗). "Shashin renzu no yoake. Renzu-ya Funsenki" (写真レンズの夜明け・レンズ屋奮戦記, Dawn of the photographic lens — Fierce war tales between lens shops). Pp.128–132. * * "Zadankai: Orinpasu no michi" (座談会・オリンパスの道, "Conversation: the way of Olympus"). Interview of Sakurai Eiichi (桜井栄一), Maitani Yoshihisa (米谷美久) and Kawazoe Mitsuo (河添光男), by Saeki Kakugorō (佐伯恪五郎). Pp.64–71. Category: Japanese camera makers